The risks of mercury in dental amalgam

10% of the world’s mercury is in humans. It is found in silver dental amalgams which are 50% mercury. This ends up in the environment on cremation or burial. There is concern about the amount of mercury being absorbed by people. The mercury is easily vaporised from the mouth into the body. Symptoms are tremors and kidney toxicity. It can also be detected in blood. Now many countries are phasing out use of mercury in dental amalgam.

Transcript

Robyn Williams: Last week on this program we worried about lead and told of worms so full of it that birds who eats the worms fall dead from the sky. That's in America. This time we're worried about mercury, particularly the quicksilver we still have in our teeth as fillings.

Lisa Matriste: 10% of the world's mercury stores are actually bound up in humans walking around the planet, and all their body excretions creates a massive amount of mercury into the environment. Plus, when they get cremated or buried, ultimately all mercury placed into a human ends up in the environment. Then the practice of putting it into the tooth, dental offices are definitely a major contributing factor in the pollution of mercury in our waterways. Currently in Australia only one state and I think Canberra have installed certain equipment to capture the mercury before it enters the waste water. It's a massive amount and it needs to stop.

Robyn Williams: Dr Lisa Matriste is a dentist working in Melbourne. She's director of Australians for a Mercury-Free Dentistry. So, after all these years using it, is amalgam really a problem?

Lisa Matriste: Most people aren't aware that the silver fillings that have been put into their mouths are actually composed of 50% elemental mercury, and currently there is global concern about the level of mercury that we are all absorbing. And dentistry is definitely one of the sectors that is being looked at in our current United Nations environmental program treaty. There is a treaty called the Minamata Treaty which is dealing with the mercury pollution, and dental amalgam is listed as one of the products to be discussed and hopefully phased out.

Robyn Williams: It's been in our heads, in our teeth for so long, many of us have had it for years. Has it been quietly leaking out into our bodies?

Lisa Matriste: That's right. The problem with the mercury component of the amalgam filling is that it's very easily vaporised. In fact the manufacturer says that it shouldn't be stored above 25°C because of the element vaporising, and yet anybody can tell you that our own body temperature is 37°. So we do constantly have seepage of this mercury into our bodies.

And another way that mercury gets absorbed is also ingestion. These fillings swell because of their metallic content, and you actually chew it off. And the world health organisation said in 1991 that the greatest dietary source of mercury for anybody was actually coming from their dental amalgams, not actually from fish.

Robyn Williams: How do we know that it actually is doing something to your body that's harmful?

Lisa Matriste: The manufacturer states that it can cause chronic mercurialism, and some of those symptoms are things like tremors, it's definitely very toxic to the kidneys, and also the unique feature of mercury is that it does cross the placental barrier directly into the developing baby. So there have been studies done that correlate the concentration of mercury in umbilical cord blood with the number of dental amalgams from the mother.

Other ways of assessing the level of mercury in your body is a hair tissue mineral analysis, and that's recognised for an exposure for a three-month period previously. Blood tests for mercury will show acute exposure. But I was at a medical conference, Robyn, and a doctor was saying that he is now picking up a lot of mercury in people's blood and that means that these people are so full of mercury contamination that they can't deal with it anymore, it's no longer being absorbed into the fatty tissues, it's now circulating throughout the blood system.

Robyn Williams: Could that source, however, include environmental mercury, which is abundant in Australia?

Lisa Matriste: That's right. The environmental mercury is the organic form, the methylmercury. Another unique feature of elemental or inorganic mercury is that once it enters the environment it is transformed by microorganisms into the more toxic version. And methylmercury primarily comes through the food chain by our fish, but we also convert within our own bodies elemental mercury into methylmercury, and this is done by our own microorganisms.

Robyn Williams: Is there a substitute that's commonly accepted?

Lisa Matriste: Absolutely, and this is one of the things that I'm advocating to our government. The mercury-free dental alternatives definitely do exist. Even our own amalgam manufacturer here in Melbourne has a whole range of mercury-free alternatives. I haven't used dental amalgam in 24 years in clinical practice, and there isn't any clinical situation that I am presented with where I wish, gee, I wish I had an amalgam that I could fix this with. It just doesn't happen. There are also many countries in the world now that have already phased it out a long time ago. So how are the dentists operating if they don't have these alternatives? I also know in the US, seven years ago mercury-free alternatives became more popular than dental amalgam. So the technology is there and it is definitely being used and it's cost-effective and it is durable.

Robyn Williams: So why don't your colleagues all use it?

Lisa Matriste: Tradition, I would think. In Australia it is taught within the universities. I know in Switzerland they haven't taught how to place an amalgam filling for 13 years. So you're taught a certain way of dealing with situations. I also know that as an Australian dentist when I review my Australian dental literature there seems to be a strong bias and protection of this amalgam product, and this is one of the things I am also advocating, that we have dental reform here in Australia. It's not just the patients we have to protect but the Australian dental workers are being occupationally exposed to this noxious product. And in the 30 years since I was a dental student, nothing has changed in the curriculum to change this practice.

Robyn Williams: But let's get it clear; is the resistance because people say there's no problem or because they just couldn't be bothered doing anything much about it because it's too difficult?

Lisa Matriste: It's not a difficult thing to switch and change. To become a dentist here in Australia you have to show competency in being able to use mercury-free alternatives, especially in front teeth. You just don't see the practice of putting these silver grey ugly things in front teeth.

Robyn Williams: Okay, so what's going to happen next? Are you going to continue on a lone quest or will there be a tipping point?

Lisa Matriste: I believe we definitely are at a tipping point. I'm seeing it internationally. When I participate at the United Nations there are many countries ready to see the phase-out of this poisonous polluting product. Europe is putting forward a position of 2018, and I know all of the African countries, the Arab countries, Brazil, many Asian countries are ready for the phase-out. So they're happy to embrace these mercury-free alternatives.

Robyn Williams: How many of your colleagues disagree with you?

Lisa Matriste: On the environmental issue, none. Our Australian Dental Association does have a policy that they are recommending dentists to install mercury separators so they can be environmentally responsible.

Robyn Williams: And what about treatment?

Lisa Matriste: There seems to be little regard for the National Health and Medical Research Council guideline of 1998 where dental amalgam shouldn't be used in pregnant women, people with kidney disease and children. I know for a fact that this practice is still going on at our teaching institutions and I know in the school dental service dental amalgam is being used for restoring decayed teeth in these children.

Robyn Williams: And what's not probably recognised, according to my own dentist, is how the practitioners themselves, the dentists and nurses, may be at risk from exposure. But mercury is being steadily phased out. Dr Lisa Matriste is director of Australians for Mercury-Free Dentistry.

briefcandle :

10 Mar 2013 6:38:44am

You neglect to mention that the removal and disposal of old dental amalgam from people's teeth must pose similar risks to environment, patient and clinician as does the placement of amalgam.I guess you would recommend that amalgam be left in situ for people above a certain age, lest the very process of removal precipate a spike in mercury exposure?

robert gammal :

13 Mar 2013 10:07:32am

Mercury is released all of the time from amalgam fillings. Removal of amalgam is the only way to stop the mercury build up in the body. WHO have clearly stated that amalgam is the single greatest source of mercury to the general population. Ten times more than all other sources combined including seafood. Protocols are in place for those dentists who are willing to learn. This is a serious issue which should only be undertaken by dentists with the correct equipment and knowledge to minimize the exposure for the patient and the dental personnel. Amalgam removal leads to a reduction of body burden of mercury. References can be found at www.robertgammal.com

Liz :

11 Mar 2013 4:24:09pm

When I had my amalgam fillings removed a few years ago as part of my treatment for chronic fatigue, my dentist was very happy to do it and keen to hear about the effect it had on my health subsequently.I did wonder if the reason dentists don't cease the use of amalgam fillings is a fear that such action would be seen as confirmation that the product is unhealthy, which might prompt a class action in the future.

robert gammal :

13 Mar 2013 10:10:50am

This would certainly be the case for the dental associations that continue to promote the use of this dangerous material. Misinformation from the deans and professors of dentistry continues to maintain the ignorance of the dental profession at large. This practice is also disastrous for the health of the whole dental team.

The argument of mechanical strength is a nonsense. Amalgam is simply the most tooth destructive material on the market.

Isa :

09 May 2013 6:01:32am

Hello Liz, glad that your amalgam fillings has removed. A good friend of mine has Chronic Fatigue for years and has amalgam fillings too. I guess this has affect his condition. I'm glad that I have read this and will share it to my friend. I'll be glad to hear any suggestion from you on treating Chronic Fatigue, really wanted to help my friend he's almost lost hope. Thank you! Would love to hear from you soon. Warm wishes!

Andrew Eger :

11 Mar 2013 6:04:22pm

Have scietific tests been conducted on mercury-gold amalgam, in the laboratory, but replicating the mouth's environment,to determine 1. The rate of mercury dissipation and whether this declines with time. 2. Whether free mercury, only occurs due to poor mixing technique by the dentist?

robert gammal :

13 Mar 2013 10:15:12am

As stated above mercury is released all of the time. Till and Maley (1976) demonstrated a four-fold increase in the release of mercury from amalgam when in the presence of gold in the mouth. This release continues all of the time. Age has little to do with it nor does the mixing technique. Other factors which increase the release of mercury are increases in temperature and friction. This increase is rapid and has been shown to last 90 minutes before reducing slowly. (Vimy et al 1990)http://www.robertgammal.com/amalgam/FastFacts.html

Andrew Eger :

Robert Gammal :

11 Mar 2013 7:18:54pm

Thank you for bringing this to the worlds attention. The story needs to be told in all its horror from a scientific point of view. There is much info on my website and of course on many others. I would be happy to consult if you wish further info.RegardsRobertthe site iswww.robertgammal.com

Row :

15 Mar 2013 6:39:51pm

I had a filling probably around 5 years ago now and the dentist at the time told me she had to use amalgum as the non-metallic filling wouldn't last. So this article is telling me we should all be having those fillings removed and replaced with an alternative?

beatrice :

16 Mar 2013 7:25:38pm

How come when this was brought to light by the 'health hippies' years ago it was touted as rubbish and we were told the amalgam fillings were safe. Why now are they not? It seems you can't trust your dentist or the government who have been saying these fillings are fine. So what is the replacement, plastic?

Mary :

20 Mar 2013 1:17:29pm

I was pleased to hear this story on the Science show. We were all told we were being paranoid for thinking there was a problem with mercury. Like one of the previous commentors I was told by 2 dentists I knew that it was not true that amalgam was toxic. I had some bad experiences too trying to get rid of amalgam from my mouth by dentists who were extremely poor at taking this matter seriously and removing with caution. However I want to know if the fillings include gold. I am guessing gold is regarded also as being a heavy metal and therefore toxic but how does gold differ from amalgam?

Jacob :

28 Mar 2013 12:41:57am

This interview is extremely problematic.

The interviewee discussed no results of any clinical trials, and nor did she purport to have undertaken any research on the topic herself (she is a dentist). Most worryingly, the following URL was linked to for the interview: http://www.mercuryfreedentistry.com.au/

This website, under the tab, 'Scientific References', simply has a 'position paper on dental amalgam' by the 'Australasian Integrative Medicine Association' (https://www.aima.net.au/), an organisation which describes itself as 'Integrating Complementary & Mainstream Medicine', and seems to spruik a lot of bogus-sounding stuff (such as 'Paleolithic Living'). It is sponsored by 'Bio Ceuticals' and posts dodgy-looking news articles with titles such as 'Supplements for life' and 'Alternative medicine popular for arthritis'.

Additionally, in the interview, the interviewee states, in response to a question about what alternatives there are to mercury amalgam, "our own amalgam manufacturer here in Melbourne has a whole range of mercury-free alternatives". This makes me think that she may have commercial reasons for the story she is spruiking.

A quick Google search reveals that she is the 'Visionary and Founder' of the Holistic Wellness and Vitality Centre (http://www.2nrich.com/). The Centre offers services including ']ayurvedic medicine' and 'homeopathies'.

I'm shocked that The Science Show would provide a megaphone for this woman - and without any discussion of any peer-reviewed, published trials on the topic.

Kirk Tabalotny :

06 Apr 2013 1:29:07pm

It's nice to hear a voice of reason in the midst of so much frothing tripe. Zero points to the Science Report for totally lacking any balance in the presentation. All this episode has done is add weight to the wacky, fanciful & ungrounded body of populist opinion that has been creeping into medicine, dentistry & general science for the past couple of decades. Perhaps the show ought to be renamed "The Pseudoscience Report"?Over recent years, I've watched as qualified, educated dentists have taken up the torch of a range of bizarre and cultish fads. What next - flat Earth (again)? We are seeing some dentists unfairly exploiting the enormous knowledge gap between trained professionals & lay persons, to foist their own flavour of non-science on patients & the public. This is generally unhelpful to the entire dental care industry.There is an enormous body of knowledge based on carefully designed, independent, objective & relevant research projects, which very clearly shows a lack of risk to the health of anyone bearing amalgam restorations in their teeth. If the proposed health issues were reality, then after more than a century of amalgam usage, doesn't anyone out there think we'd have already seen at least a half-hearted epidemic of mercury-related illnesses? And where are the environmental catastrophes?Overall, this episode of the Science Report was just another example of the stupidification western populations seem to be willingly undergoing. Embracing 'self evident truths' in favour of hard-won scientific evidence is simply cultural & intellectual devolution.The Science Report's research & production team would do well to employ more wisdom & less haste in preparing the show, so that it doesn't become a digital soapbox for populist drivel.

anonymous :

12 Jun 2014 11:07:40am

I am reading the transcript of this interview more than one year after the actual interview in my search to find a dentist who would be prepared to remove my amalgam fillings in the absence (in doctor's and dentist's opinion) of adverse health effects, and without questioning me as to 'why'.

My siblings, who reside in Switzerland had all their amalgam removed about 15 years ago without having to provide an explanation. I understand that in Switzerland amalgam has not been used any more for more than a decade. My brother informed me that he knows a dental assistant who has never learnt how to prepare an amalgam filling. It is beyond me that a whole country, albeit a small one, is able to phase out amalgam fillings and that the ADA still produces publications stating that amalgam is 'safe'. (Checked website today).

Am I sarcastic to suggest that the disposal of this material is posing a problem for dentists, that the reason many dentist are not willing to remove 'stable' fillings is because the removal could pose a threat to their and their assistant's health and that special equipment is needed for removal? Do dentists who use respirator masks and dams to remove amalgam fillings just play 'dress ups' to frighten patients?

If the material is not safe for pregnant women and children why is it safe for other humans? Bizarre thinking.

Pgee :

13 Jun 2014 9:59:11pm

I've been feeling unwell for about 2 years,constant cough,short of breath,tingly tounge & metallic taste in my mouth,lethargy , no appetitie, nausea and so on. I said to my husband I feel like I'm slowly dying. . I've decided to take control & I've googled my symptoms etc & Ithen I remembered a woman on tv talking about leaky fillings. It's 10 pm Friday night so no doubt can't get hold of a dentist till Monday,we have 1 trained to remove mecury fillings in a population of 500.000. I so hope this is the cure